Rapper and South Florida native Flo Rida was honored with a key to Miami-Dade County on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old artist, born Tramar Dillard in Carol City, a neighborhood in Miami Gardens, was present at the ceremony.
“It’s not the hundreds of millions of streams,” District 1 Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert said. “I bring people here and I give them key to the county when they’re benefitting them, they’re a testament to where they’re from and they’re actually helping others.”
Gilbert spoke at length about Flo Rida’s efforts to give back to his community with the Florida Youth Football League and more.
“It’s the FYFL for me. It’s the fact there are kids in college, because you thought it not robbery to invest in them and not just invest, like some famous people, they come and they invest and like, oh yeah, they put their picture on something,” Gilbert said. “No, they know him on our parks, because he invests not just his money but his presence.”
Flo Rida, who also received the key to the City of Miami in 2021, was seated as he received the commissioner’s praise.
“I remember when I was the mayor of Miami Gardens, and I wanted to redo all the parks, and I needed a $60 million general obligation bond,” Gilbert said Wednesday. “And I started talking about it. One of the very first people that I spoke with was… Flo [Rida]. I talked to them about that bond because I needed to raise money to advertise this, and no one wanted to give you money to float a bond. I talked to him about having facilities at our parks that were recording studios and television production areas and robotics and culinary arts and football and basketball and gymnastics, giving kids… the opportunity to have things and amenities that students and kids had other places. He was the first person that said, ‘Okay, I’ll fund that.'”
The rapper got up for a photo with the commission and smiled as he received the key from Gilbert.
But first, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also thanked him for buying real estate locally.
“That is putting your money where your mouth is,” she said. “We’re really proud that you do call this home.”
Who is Flo Rida?
Flo Rida is perhaps best known for his 2007 breakout single, “Low.” His songs on the Billboard Hot 100 include “My House,” “Good Feeling” and “Wild Ones.”
In 2023, he won $82 million in a lawsuit against energy drink maker Celsius over the company’s breach of contract on an endorsement deal. A jury upheld that decision in 2024.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
